British tourist drugged and raped on Koh Tao
A 30 year old British tourist has broken her silence about a harrowing incident on Thailand‘s infamous Koh Tao, dubbed Death Island for its dark history.
The tourist, named Marijke, was drugged, raped, and abandoned in the middle of nowhere.
Marijke recounted the traumatic experience.
“I remember taking a sip from a bucket, and a moment later, I woke up almost naked behind some bushes. That’s it – the last conscious memory I have, drinking from the bucket.”
Despite the idyllic beaches, Koh Tao gained notoriety after 60 Brits died mysteriously from 2014 to 2016. Families of victims have coined the chilling moniker Death Island. Marijke’s ordeal unfolded in 2014, the same year as the infamous murders of British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller.
After finishing her bachelor’s degree, the then 21 year old Marijke ventured to Thailand for a scuba diving adventure. Little did she know that her decision to join a pub crawl with fellow backpackers would lead to a nightmarish encounter, reported The Sun, UK.
Marijke met a charismatic Dutchman during the crawl, describing him as a very nice, really tall man. Their interaction took a sinister turn, with Marijke waking up next to him, stripped of her clothes and possessions. She recalled the disorienting experience.
“I hadn’t even finished my drink, and I remember waking up next to him while all our things were missing.”
In a brave move, Marijke has chosen to lift the veil of anonymity, urging other potential victims to come forward. Reflecting on her ordeal, she expressed concern that the man she encountered might have preyed on more women.
“I have this distinct feeling that the man has made more victims. I do hope that if there are others, some will come forward.”
Recounting a troubling incident of lost time and vague memories, Marijke suspects she wasn’t the only victim of the tall handsome lawyer from Amsterdam. Years later, she learned of a similar assault from a colleague, sparking a realisation of the shared trauma.
“What is also important is that I felt so fearful and hesitant to tell anyone about this experience; perhaps others will recognise this fear as well. It’s a really powerless feeling.”
